Electric railway-signal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1; J. BRADFORD 81; J P. WILLIAMS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

atented Mar. 21, 1893.

.ll! l i l l I l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

BRADPQRD & J. P. WILLIAMS. ELEUTRIU RAILWAY SIGNAL- No. 493,678.Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

(No Model.)

l l IIIIIIIIIIIIIII i i I immumliimmnignmiiimiin UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JEFFERSON BRADFORD AND JAMES P. WILLIAMS, OF BOSTON STATION, KENTUCKY.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,678, dated March21, 1893.

Application filed June 23, 1892. Serial No. 437,772. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JEFFERSON BRADFORD and JAMES P. WILLIAMs,citizensof the United States,residingat Boston Station,in the county ofPendleton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Railway-Signals; and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Our invention relates to electric signaling devices for giving notice totwo trains approaching each other upon the same track and our object isto provide improved apparatus for this purpose.

To this end our invention consists in the apparatus constructed andoperating substantially as hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic Viewillustrating the operation of our system; Fig. 2, a side elevation of atender and a portion of a locomotive equipped with the portion of theapparatus they carry, with the rail and the conductor nearest theobserver broken away, the rail section being upon an inclined line; Fig.3, a bottom view of a portion of the tender; Fig. 4, a transversesection of the track showing the manner of supporting the conductingwires.

In carrying our invention into practice we employ a generator,preferably carried by ,the locomotive tender, a signal in the cab,

two lines of conducting wires, a contact with one of the latter leadingfrom the generator and a contact with the other wire leading from thesignal. The generator is preferably dynamo A of any preferred form, andas shown, bolted to the middle portion of the bottom of the tender. Itsarmature shaft lies transversely of the track and at its ends carrieswheels Ct a resting on the track rails, by friction with which they, andin consequence the armature are rotated. By this arrangement the dynamois in action only when the train is in motion. If desired, of

course, other means of driving the dynamo may employed, and indeed, ifpreferable, other forms of generators, as storage batteries may beemployed. Running parallel with and preferably between the track railsare two lines of wiresB and B that are supported by transverse rods 0placed at suitable intervals along the track. These rods are attached tothe rails in the manner shown best in Fig. 4. Each rod C has a verticalextension 0 on which is placed a glass or other insulator to which thewire is connected. One pole of the generator A is connected electricallywith one wire B by a brush or contact 72 suitably supported from thetender, while the other pole is grounded in any suitable way, as throughone of the tender truck wheels.

In the locomotive cab is placed an electric signal, preferably an arclamp, one electrode of which is electrically connected with the otherwire B by a suitable brush 1), while the other electrode is grounded. Itwill be seen that with the arrangement described, it two trains beapproaching each other on the same track as shown in the diagram in Fig.1, a circuit will be formed from the generator of one train through thegenerator brush I) along the wire B to the lamp brush 1) of the lamp ofthe other train and through said lamp, forming an arc, the return beingthrough the earth. A circuit can only be formed when the trains areapproaching each other, as when they are moving in the same directionthere is no electrical connection between the wires B and B since all ofthe generator brushes are on one wire, and all of the lamp brushes areon the other. Of course, if found desirable to run a locomotivebackward, the brushes will be made so as to enable them to be shiftedfrom one wire to the other. It will be noted that with the apparatus onboth trains in working order, a signal will be given each train, butshould the apparatus of one train be inoperative, one signal, willnevertheless be given. At switchings and cross ings the wires will beinsulated andcarried underground.

To supplement the weight of the parts, to produce necessaryfrictionbetween the dynamo wheels at and the rails coiled springs areinterposed between the bottom of the tender and the frame on which thedynamo is mounted.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the track-rails, of the transverse rods connectedto the rails and beneath the same and formed with oppositely 10extending hooked extensions, insulators on the horizontal portions ofsaid extensions, and the two line wires on said insulators,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JEFFERSON BRADFORD. JAMES P. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

J NO. H. FRYER, v H. C. HAMILTON, Jr.

